Author: PTI
Publication: The Times of India
Date: June 11, 2006
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1637344.cms
Muslim groups on Sunday demanded reservations
for the community in politics and jobs on the basis of population.
A resolution to this effect was passed at
the Maharashtra Muslim Convention, hosted jointly by the All India Ulema Council
and Mumbai Aman Committee, at the Anjuman-e-Islam near Chhatrapati Shivaji
Terminus in Mumbai.
The resolution said that besides Parliament,
state assemblies and councils, representation on the basis of population must
be given to Muslims in the police, bureaucracy, local bodies and private institutions.
The convention also appealed to Muslims to
unite and prevail upon political parties to give representation to them on
the basis of population ratio.
Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Zahiruddin
Khan, president of the All India Ulema Council, said since Independence, Muslims
community has not been given proper representation.
Badruddin Kasmi, the newly elected leader
of the United Democratic Front that had won 11 seats in the assembly elections
in Assam, said Muslims should not have a different political party.
"It is not at all required. What is needed
is that they should shake hands with the down-trodden, farmers, fisherfolk
and oppressed sections of society and demand proper representation. Everything
will follow," he added.
Riyaz Khan, Vice President of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind noted that the interim
report of the Sachar Committee had pointed out that 90 per cent of Muslims
have not benefited from various schemes launched by the central and state
governments.
Renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Zillur Rehman
Siddiqui said over 65 per cent of the Muslim population in the country lived
below the poverty line. "Before making plans, we need to take this into
consideration. We need to bridge this gap," he said.
Safdar Karmali, president of the Khoja Shia
Asna Shari Jamaat, said Muslims are being specificially targeted. Several
Muslim youths and even maulanas were arrested in the name of terrorism but
the courts had acquitted them, he said.
Shia scholar Maulana Hasnain Kararvi pointed
out that as per government records, the Muslim population is nearly 13 per
cent but the number of Muslims in the Indian Administrative Service is only
two per cent.
The situation in other services was similar
and the gap between Muslims and other community needs to be bridged, he said.
Among those present were Mumbai Aman Committee
general secretary Dawood Khan, All India Ulema Council general secretary Moulana
Mehmood Daryabadi and Islamic scholars and intellectuals from all the districts
of Maharashtra.
Maulana Badruddin was also felicitated for
his party's victory in the Assam elections.
